Marbro_za
Dan's princess
from what i heard, ours is quite simple. Im on our learners licence. Basically a written test. Havent had the time to get the proper one yet
Uk Bike Licence Test
- Thread starter Marbro_za
- Start date
BubbleBoy
Wannabie Member
So what cc bike can you ride upto at the mo on the learners licence?
BbqRider
Wannabie Member
I can help Marbro out here as I just recently passed my driver's test.
Over here we have no tiered system. Just learner's and driver's. You can get your learner's at 16 and it is just a written, multiple choice test about road rules, road signs, and a short section about vehicle controls. It's a joke. If you are younger than 18, you are restricted to a 125cc or smaller. If you are 18, you are unrestricted, so anything goes. Note that for your learner's, the restriction is applied to your current age, not your age when you got it.
For driver's, you have two options: Unrestricted licence or restricted licence. I still don't know why people get the restricted version, but basically if you show up on the day on a motorcycle 125cc or smaller, you're restricted to riding only 125cc or smaller bikes. Same for scooters and auto transmission. Anything larger than 125cc and manual and you are completely unrestricted.
The test itself is conducted on a "yard", which is basically a very small course with various lines painted on the road and a few speed traps. The examiner asks you to do a pre-trip inspection, in which you inspect and affirm verbally that all the important bits are there and working. Then you do some pre-determined manoeuvres in front of the examiner, which include pulling away and getting up to speed while staying within a narrow corridor and then stopping as close as possible to a cross on the road, performing emergency stops and swerves, going around bends and pulling away on an incline without moving backwards. And that's it, there's no road test. The whole thing minus paperwork takes about 25 minutes
BubbleBoy
Wannabie Member
And that's it!!! So if your over 18 you can turn up on a fireblade and 30 mins later go straight out on the road with a full license!! Piss take!!
BbqRider
Wannabie Member
Actually if you're 18 you can write the learner's test which at no point requires you to know anything about a motorcycle that you didn't read in the official handbook, and without ever having ridden a motorcycle before, you can climb on your choice of bike including but not limited to Busas, Fireblades, H2's, Superdukes, Panigales and ride off into the sunset. You just aren't allowed to carry a pillion
BbqRider
Wannabie Member
For the most part yes. But I can pretty much guarantee that someone who has just started riding won't pass. But it doesn't matter because there's almost no advantage to having a driver's over a learner's
BbqRider
Wannabie Member
Some would consider that a very convenient excuse not to
BluePixel
Wannabie Member
I did my test just before the rules changed. By 19/20 I was on an unrestricted ZX9R 
and have been since.
The new rules do make sense though and I can see why they've done it. But if I was having to go through all these hoops to get whatever bike I wanted my opinion of it may be different
and have been since.The new rules do make sense though and I can see why they've done it. But if I was having to go through all these hoops to get whatever bike I wanted my opinion of it may be different
Exile
Wannabie Member
Currently going through Direct Access at the moment (three quarters of the process completed now), and whilst it's not a terrible system (other than costing an arm and a leg), I can see why younger riders who have to do it in tiers would be put off. Doing DAS though, it's essentially just the same as when I did my car training and test. Only difference is the number of steps it takes. 4 steps (CBT, Theory, Mod 1, Mod 2) on the bike verses two (Theory, Practical) in a car.
Speaking of which, I don't see the point in the Module 1 test. So we do some slow control stuff, prove we can ride the bike safely around a yard and them perform an emergency stop and swerve, all to show we have the skills needed to go on-road and do that test. Seems sensible at first, until you realise the CBT covered exactly the same thing. Manual handling? Check. Slow control? Check. Emergency stop? Check. Plus we've already ridden on the road to get to the test centre so... But thems the rules, and since I want a bigger bike I paid my moneys and am doing the tests I've been told to.
Speaking of which, I don't see the point in the Module 1 test. So we do some slow control stuff, prove we can ride the bike safely around a yard and them perform an emergency stop and swerve, all to show we have the skills needed to go on-road and do that test. Seems sensible at first, until you realise the CBT covered exactly the same thing. Manual handling? Check. Slow control? Check. Emergency stop? Check. Plus we've already ridden on the road to get to the test centre so... But thems the rules, and since I want a bigger bike I paid my moneys and am doing the tests I've been told to.
